Automatic conveyer adjustment means



Aug. 6, 1929. A. J. HARTLEY AUTOMATIC CONVEYER ADJUSTMENT MEANS FiledJuly 12, 1926 mm H BY 0%)) dag ATTUBNEYE Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES ARTH'LIR J. HARTLEY, OF PIJORIA, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CONVEYER ADJUSTMENT MEANS.

Application filed July 12, 1926.

This invention relates to grain elevating and conveying devices, andmore particularly, to mechanism for adjusting the position of theconveyer portion with respect to the elevator member.

One of the objects of the invention lies in the provision of an overheadadjustable supporting mechanism for the conveying portion of a grainelevating device.

Another object lies in the provision of such overhead adjustableconnecting means between a conveyer member an d an elevator as to permita wide range of movement of the conveyer, as well as varied adjustmentthereof.

Still another object lies in the provision of a simple overheadadjustable connection between a conveyer member and an elevator member,said means including an overhead rod connection between the elevatorand. delivery end Oili the conveyer, and auto1natically operativeclamping means for holding the connecting rod members in the desiredposition.

A further object lies in the specific parts and arrangement thereofwhich permits automatic adjustment of a conveyer member with an elevatormember, said mechanism in the present instance including two rodmembers, the outer ends of which are attached respectively to the upperend of the elevator and to the delivery end of the conveyer, thesubstantially parallel inner ends of said rods being slidably related topermit contraction, and an automatically operating clamp preventingextension of the rods except when held manually in a released position.

Other objects will appear in the following specification, taken inconnection with the annexed drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation showing the overhead conveyer adjustment mechanism. as appliedto a well known type of grain elevator and conveyer device, as well asthe manner of mounting the said devices upon a threshing machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the automatically operating clampingconnection between the inner opposed ends of the rod members, the outerends of which are connected respectively to the upper end of theelevator and to the delivery end of the conveyer; and

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the automatically operating clampingconnection.

Serial No. 121,819.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 a well known type of grain elevatorand weighing device shown at 10, the same being installed inv its normalposition upon a threshing machine 11. Inasmuch asthe present applicationis directed specifhzally to the adjustment mechanism between theelevator and conveyer member and the fact that grain elevators of thepresent type are so well known in the art, it has not been. thoughtnecessary to include all of the mechanical details of the elevatingdevice. it will sullice to say that the elevator 10 has its elevatingportion, (not shown) driven from the threshing machine through the belt12. A power driven conveyer shown at 13, said conveyer being ot wellknown structure and containing therein power driven flight portions (notshown) which deliver the grain to the final delivery spout 141., whichis disposed ordinarily above a wagon member or other receptacle. Theflight portion of the conveyer also has power transmitted theretothrough a series of gears 15, sprocket 16, and chain 17, which also haspower trans iitted thereto from the threshing machine. The abovestructure is entirely conventional as far as grain elevating andconveying devices are concerned, and describes generally the present daygrain elevating, weighing and conveying devices. It will be noted thatthe conveyer is power driven, and this permits the use of a lower grainelevator than would be necessary should the conveyor be of the gravitytype.

Again, we find that the conveyer 13 is pivoted at 18 to permit swingingmovement thereof, and as a matter ot fact, swinging movement over thetop of the thrcshing nla chine when supported in the mounting hereinshown and later to be described. This swinging movement of the conveyermember was not possible in the gravity type as the said conveyer memberhad to be disposed downwardly; however, with the present force-feedtype, the COIIVGyOI can deliver ust as efficiently, even in the raisedposition shown in the dotted line figure, which position is sometimesnecessary. Again, it might be stated that in the present dayconstruction of elevators and conveyors, an operator usually stands uponthe threshing machine and adjusts the position of the conveyertherefrom. With the means which applicant has devised for adjusting theconveyer member, and which is now to be derod 22 has a connection 23with the outer end of the conveyer 13. The inner end 24 of the rod 22 isbent at right angles, as shown in the drawings, and the same has anaperture 25 therein, through which slides the rod 20. The inner end ofthe rod 20 is related to the rod 22 in the following manner: A portion26 is fashioned in a hooked manner and engages a frictional clamp 27.This clamp 27 is pivoted at 28 in a bracket 29 which is slidable uponthe rod 22, unless held in a clamped position by means of the member 27.

With respect to the operation of the above described adjusting means, itmay be readily seen that manually raising the conveyer to the dottedline position shown in Fig. 1 will result in the contraction in normallength of the two rod members 20 and 22, with the inner end portions ofeach rod sliding one upon the other. Contraction of the rods is readilypermitted, and movement of the conveyer manually to any elevatedposition iseffected without manual manipulation of the connectionbetween the rod members. However, upon release of the conveyer members,and an initial commencement of expansion of the rod members, thefriction member 27 automatically operates to clamp the rod members 20and 22 to prevent further extension. Thus we may readily see that aftermovement of the conveyer to any position, same is automatically held inthat position until the connection between the rod members 20 and 22 ismanually operated to effect release.

Obviously, in case lowering of the conveyor is desired, the operatormust release the member 27 from its clamped position and hold same in areleased position while lowering the conveyer manually to the positiondesired.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, a modification of the automatically operatingclamping mechanism is shown, which differs from the above describedclamping mechanism in that a single frictional connection 30 completesthe attachment between the hooked end 26 of the rod 20 and the rod 22.This modification has been shown in order to indicate that variousmechanism may be utilized for connecting the ends of the rod members andto effect an automatic release and clamping action therebetween.

The present device is operated, to a great measure, as conveyer or spoutadjusting mechanism for grain elevators and follows directly theadvances that have been made upon elevating and conveying devices. Thepresent device represents also the improvements which applicant has madeover the structure used by him for a great many years, the same beingshown in a patent issued to him on July 23, 1912, and numbered1,033,316.

WVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a grain elevator and conveying device therefor,of means for adjusting said conveyer vertically and horizontally withrespect to said elevator, said means including a rod member pivotallyconnected to the upper end of the elevator, a second rod attached to thedelivery end of the conveyer, and a sliding frictional connectionbetween the opposed ends of said rods, adapted under the influence ofthe weight of the conveyer to automatically clamp said rods together inthe desired position.

2. The combination with a grain elevator and conveying device, of meansfor adjusting said conveyor vertically and horizontally with respect tosaid elevator, said means including a rod member having its outer endpivotally attached to the upper end of the elevator, a second rod havingits outer end attached to the delivery end of the conveyer, connectingmeans between the ends of the substantially parallel rod members,including such fashionin of their end portions as to permit a slidingconnection therebetween upon contraction, and a clamp member operatingautomatically to prevent relative movement between the rods unless heldmanually in a released position.

3. The combination with a conveying device, of means for adjusting saidconveyer vertically, said means including the pivotal support for thereceiving end of the conveyer, a supporting member disposed above thereceiving end of the conveyer and in line with the vertical axisthereof, a rod connection between the elevated support and the deliveryend of the conveyer member, and mechanism cooperating with the rodconnection to permit vertical adjustment of the conveyer member and toautomatically hold same in the desired position.

In testimony whereof I ham hereunto aflixed my signature.

ARTHUR J. HARTLEY.

